A SOUTHAMPTON shopping centre has donated £3,000 to support global ocean research.

Westquay shopping centre has donated £3,000 to the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton in celebration of World Oceans Day.

The funds are now set to be used to support the NOC’s innovative seagrass and blue carbon research, which aims to provide solutions to help mitigate climate change by studying coastal ecosystems.

Westquay, owned by Hammerson, says it aims to be Net Positive for Carbon emissions, Water, Resource-use and Socio-economic impacts by 2030.

The centre has been delivering on this strategy through its Positive Places Plan which includes projects on driving best practices to manage water consumption and enhance biodiversity.

Laura Read, General Manager of Westquay said: “The role our oceans play is absolutely critical to the health of our planet. Westquay is committed to meeting ambitious net positive targets and we are delighted to be able to support this important research.

"The National Oceanography Centre does such important work and is based locally to us, so it made perfect sense to partner with them to recognise World Ocean Day.”

The funding boost will now support NOC scientists in understanding the role seagrass has to play in unlocking blue carbon.

Research will also help to understand how the coastal habitats should be protected in order to reduce climate change.

Sofie Bennett Head of Philanthropy, at the National Oceanography Centre, said: “We’re so grateful to Westquay for their generous donation to support our vital research in protecting and restoring important coastal habitats.

"These ecosystems are among the most threatened in the world and when they’re damaged, the large stores of blue carbon there are released as CO2 into the atmosphere – so we must protect them to help reduce climate change.”